Radio stations have banned certain records from their playlists in an attempt to protect their listeners from unpalatable references to war and gore, it emerged today.

Songs such as Diamonds and Guns by the Transplants and Bandages by Hot Hot Heat are among those to have been sidelined as concerns about public sensibilities grow.

Radio 1 confirmed that the playlist had been changed since the war in Iraq began.

"We are not currently playing records such as Diamonds and Guns and Bandages because we want to avoid offending our listeners. We continue to monitor our output on a daily basis in light of the war to ensure we are sensitive to the expectations of our listeners," a spokesman said.

He also confirmed that producers had been asked to play music with a "light, melodic" feel before and after news bulletins, especially if the reports contained distressing news.

Although Bandages makes no explicit references to war, it contains lyrics such as "These bandages cover more than scrapes, cuts and bruises from regrets and mistakes."

"We do not want to upset listeners by playing anything which is inappropriate in the current climate. We thought a song about bandages could potentially be upsetting," the spokesman added.

It is understood that other broadcasters have also adjusted their output. Certain music videos, which depict war, soldiers, bombs, executions and missiles, are reported to have been temporarily shelved by MTV.

War loomed large behind the scenes last night as performers used the Radio 3 World Music Awards as a platform for pro-peace protests.

Samira Said, an Egyptian pop star who took the award in the Middle East category, marked her opposition to Britain's involvement in the war by refusing to perform. She told the audience in Hackney, east London: "I am deeply saddened that the sound of guns is louder than my songs."

The BBC must now decide how much of the anti-war comment to retain when the event is broadcast on Radio 3 this Thursday and on BBC 4 on Friday.